Protective covering for bathtubs and method of utilizing the same



April 10, 1928.

R. E. HENRY PROTECTIVE COVERING FOR BATHTUBS AND METHOD OF UTILIZING THE SAME Filed Nov. 29. 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 g VENTOR April 10, 192-8.

R. E. HENRY PROTECTIVE COVERING FOR BATHTUBS AND METHOD OF UTILIZING THE SAME Filed Nov. 29, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 10, 1928.

R. E. HENRY PROTECTIVE COVERING FOR BATHTUBS AND METHOD OF UTILIZING THE SAME Filed Nov. 29. 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ings for bathtubs, lavatories and similar Patented Apr. 10, 1928.

ROBERT E. HENRY, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROTECTIVE COVERING FOR BATHTULBS AND=M ETHOD OF UTILIZING THE'JSAZMIL AQ ipIication fiIed November 29,1326. serial 1 1'0. 1555 25.

' M y;invention relates. to protective coverporcelain and enameled plumbing goods: 7 Considerable difficulty. has heretofore been experienced in suitably, protecting plumbing rfixturessuch as bath tubs, Wash'bowls and the like, during shipment and installation. The highly finished surfacesiof these articles many times become scratched during handling and are also damaged during installation, by reason of plaster, mud and cement falling upon the articlesand scratching thesurface when being. removed therefrom, through workmen dropping their tools into thetubs or standing in them, and from va-.

pious other. causes Even slight injury re,- duces the tub .tothe rankofsecond' quality, inmany cases, causes rejection thereof .by.;.the purchaser, with the consequent ex.- pense; of, returning the same to the factory and the shipment of areplacement which may turn 3 also become damaged.

' v My inventionhas for oneobject the proggorne of the forms which my invention 1! portion of the cover adjacent to the tiled in may take are shown in the accompany ng drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view-showings portion of a cover in place upon the tub after the same has been tiled.

n, including the meansfor holding that edgesof the tubfin position, Fig. 2 view showing a modified form ot holding means for the cover; Fig. 3 isa cross sec-1 t onal, vlew show ng one manner. n wh ch '1' I the. outer ends of the holding tapeso'f Fig.

1, may beheld in position Fig. 4 isa similar View, showing another manner of, holding the tapes; Fig. 5 is an .end elevational view of a portion of the :tub of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 .isa

plan View of such portion; Fig.7 is a view I showing the blank from whiohbathjub covers may be conveniently formed; Fig Q 8 is a V ew showing'fa third arrangement whereby the cover maybe held in place during'the tiling-in operation Fig. 9 1 is a View taken Z on the line. 9 .9 of Fig.8,pand Fig. 10 iisa yie'w showing a, portion of theoover "support? mg the-displacement, by a plaster coating.

1 F or: convenience of illustration, I havev shown the cover as-employed in connection with bath tubs, but it will, be understood that the invention ma be utilized, in, con

nection with other articles. The coverll may be'formecl o f any suitable material,

as crepe paper, which will yield somewhat, to reduce. the danger of tearing, as2when tlio cover does not completely fill a corner in the tub, The ,cover'ispreferably provided of such size that it, will overlap the exposed front wallof the tub and theends thereof, the outer wall of the tub usually having aglaize d finish, andone or bothendslof the tub also having ahighly polished finish, The. cover may end atthe rear or unfinished side oitll tub any convenient distance. When the tub leaves the factory, the cover can be se :ur,e i1' thereto in any suitable manner, and ifitlis made from "ablank representedinl ig. .7,

by the r l in, the corners b or th'cov,

ers when sewed together,- willsnuglyueng'age the rim of [a 'full recess (.3, sides tiled fin). tub at the corners thereofiwhen folded down, although lt- Wlll ordinarily yield sulficiently to permit, turning back thereof .asindic'ated v by the numerall3 in Fig; 2. It- Will blefI1IL- 'clerstoodthat .the flaps of the blankiof Fig; 7,

will be sewed or otherwise fasten dltQg li i at their adjacent edges v0,, sohthat suchblank will have'isubstantially the tumour; off the inner and outer surface of; the tub. e 7 When the tub is to be 'placedimposition,

it will beset'against awall115, asfindioated .orfmay in- Figsflii 'and L, whichfwall ma not have; been Ipreviouslyplasteredl drawing,

.. InIi-he a scratchcoat 'offplaster lfi is shown; as applied to the, lath"- In; any;

event, the edge 18 of the cover (Figs. .1 and 3') is turned backs'o asnot-to be oaughtber tween the edge of the tub-and the wall, and

to permit the tiling or facing 'plaster to Iloe brought; down the tub.

snugly against the rim 1 19 I f 'j 1105 While ordinarily the rear edge o f-the cover will extend substantially over the back wall of the tub, it is desirable that so much be torn off as will permit the tile setter to work conveniently, and to this end I may weaken orperforate the cover along a line adjacent to the rear rim of the tub so that the tile setter can readily tear away and remove the surplus material.

' Strips of tape or string 20 are secured, at their inner ends to the cover, and their outer ends will extend through or over the. cover edge 18 and may be tacked to the wall 15, as

shown in of the: tub, as shown in Fig.4.i Also, it

' couldbe simply caught between the edgeof thetub and the wall, or held by weights.

' In order to insure that portions of the cover edge 18 will not be turned back so far as to perm'itthe rim of thetub to be damaged, or to allow plaster to fall behind the covering, I show, in Fig. 1, sticks 21, inserted between the tapes 20 and the edge 18. The edge 7 for the tiles 23 applied, aswell as the tiles. The tiles 23 will rest upon the exposed portion of the rear edge 19 or} the tub, as shown more clearly in Figs. 1 and 10. These tiles may rest upon the extreme rear edge of the rim 19, or such rim may extend intothe plaster for some distance, as ndicated in Fig. 3, in which case, the rim may be covered for one-half of its width or more; The tile 23 1 will extend across the outer portion of the tapes 20, but

' when the cover is later removed, the tapes the owner, the cover can be removed from can be cut away by undercutting close up to the tile leaving a scarcely noticeable clefect in'the pointing, which can be readily faced spicuous as if the rear edge of the cover extended beneath the tileand had to be cut away. I The tapes will preferably be of thin, strongmaterial.

After the plasterers, painters," plumbers,

etc. havecompleted their work in the bath room and the house'is ready for delivery to thetuband destroyed. I V In Fig.2,I show anarrangement whereby fmeans areprovidedin lieu of the tapes forsupportingthe rearedge of the cover,

such means consisting olia hoop-like member '25, fitting within the'jtub," nd yieldably engaging the same- The n ember"25 has pro ect1ons 26 formed integrally therewith for supportlng stay rods27 that may in turn be formed integrally with the connecting" .bars26. The members 25, 26 and 27 may :be formed of rods orflat strips, as desired,

andthe stay rods 27 will extend along the rear side, of either or both of the ends of the tub, depending upon whether the tub is r 1 tiled. in the wall at only one end or at both ends. The edges of the cover will be turned the inner surface of Fig.3, or be'glued to the back wall I 7 181 may be conveniently I turned back under or over thesestrips, and the plaster base22 over and will not be nearly so conback from the rods 27 to permit tiling-in as in the case of the rods 21 of Fig. 1.

In Figs. 8 and 9, I show still another form of stay apparatus for holding the rear end portions of the cover in engagement with the rim of the tub. The stays COIlSlSt of strips 28, preferably oi' ductile metaland which may be round or flat in cross section, as desired. The. strips are placed against the cover and are shown as held in place by material 29, which may be stitched or. otherwise secured to the cover 11., The stays 28 are bent at their upperand lower ends, to conform to the contour of the tub, so that they will more effectivelyhold,theedge of the cover in contact with the rim of the tub.

Referring to Fig. 10, I show still: another means for holdingthe 'cover in close engagement with that portion of the tub rim strips of paper or other Y which is to be tiled in. This means com.- 7

prises a'coa'ting of cement,plaster of Paris,

or similar material 30 which is spread-upon a portion of the cover by a brush, or in any other suitable manner,

either' previous to shipment of the tub from thefactory or after the tub reaches the place of installation,

case, the free edge 18 of the cover will be preferably untreated, so that it can be more ,readily turned back upon the stiffened portion, to permit placing of the tiles 23.

and previous to the tiling-in operation. "In this. 7

It will be understood that various other thespirit and tub is to be tiled, exposing the rim atthe edge of the in placeagainst one side'of the tub'byst'rips whose inner ends are secured to the liner and.

whose outer ends aresecured ata point rear wardly olf-the tub, and Itiling over said strips. I v 3. The method oftiling-in or plastering 2. The method of tiling-in bath tubs have ing'liners, which comprises holdinga liner cover, and tiling against the rim." 7 r in bath tubs having flexible liners, which comprises j supporting a liner against displacement at at point ad acent to that at which the tub is to be tiled, and tiling: in the tube at a point behind the adjacent edge of said liner. V a 7 I 4, The method oflvtilingfin or plastering 1n rimmed. bath tubs having'liners, which comprisessupporting a liner on a tub rim,

and on a longitudinalline removed from the outer edge oi sa1dr1m,'and tiling of plaster- I- ing in said outer edge of the rim. V

5. The method WlHCh CODJPIlSGS placing a i l-$665,206 v I I I flexible liner in a bath tub turning back the the liner beyond the line of support, to exedge of the liner to expose'the tub rim, and pose the rim of thetub, 7 and tiling in the tiling in said rim. 7 7 said rim; I V g v v 10 6. The method which comprises placing a In testimony whereof I the Said IRQBERT 5 flexible liner in a bath tub, and'providing a E.'HENRY have hereunto set my hand.

line of support for said liner adjacent to one rim of the tub, turning back that portion of ROBERT E. HENRY. 

